“Was Trump Right To Increase Tariffs On Chinese Imports?”

President Trump recently enacted a ten percent additional tariff on Chinese imports, citing the need to curb the flow of fentanyl into the United States and to address the substantial trade imbalance between the two nations. In response, China announced retaliatory tariffs on U.S. exports. Those affirming the tariffs are necessary argue they will help American manufacturers by encouraging citizens to buy more domestically produced products and compel China to engage in fairer trade practices. Those who discourage tariffs argue they are a tax on consumers that will lead to higher prices, contribute to ongoing inflation, and create a trade war harming both economies and global supply chains. On February 18, nonpartisan debate series Open to Debate in partnership with the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) is taping a live debate in Washington DC on the question “Was Trump Right to Increase Tariffs on Chinese Imports?”

Arguing “YES” are economist Stephen Moore, who served as a senior economic advisor to President Trump’s 2016 campaign, drafting tax, budget, and energy policy plans and is currently a Senior Visiting Fellow in Economics at The Heritage Foundation, and Scott Paul, President of the Alliance for American Manufacturing, a partnership established in 2007 by some of America’s leading manufacturers and the United Steelworkers union.

Arguing “NO” are Jennifer Hillman, a Senior Fellow for Trade and International Political Economy at CFR and Georgetown Law professor who writes about the trade war with China, WTO reforms, Brexit, climate change, and carbon taxes, and Rana Mitter, is ST Lee Chair in US-Asia Relations at the Harvard Kennedy School and a political scientist who specializes in the history of the Republic of China.

The debate will tape in front of an invite-only audience on Tuesday, February 18 at the Council on Foreign Relations’ office in Washington DC (1777 F St NW). Media are invited to attend and can email raypadgett@shorefire.com for access. The schedule is:

• 6:00 p.m.–6:30 p.m. (EST) — In-Person Reception
• 6:30 p.m.–7:45 p.m. (EST) — In-Person Debate
• 7:45 p.m.–8:15 p.m. (EST) — In-Person Cocktail Reception

DEBATER BIOS – ARGUING YES

* Scott Paul: President of the Alliance for Manufacturing
Scott Paul is the president of the Alliance for American Manufacturing (AAM), a partnership established in 2007 by some of America’s leading manufacturers and the United Steelworkers union. He and AAM have worked to make American manufacturing and “Made in America” top-of-mind concerns for voters and our national leaders through effective advocacy, policy development, and data-driven research. He authored a chapter in the book “ReMaking America” and has written extensively about Alexander Hamilton’s role in forming U.S. national economic policy. He is the past board chair of the National Skills Coalition and sits on the Board of Visitors of the Political Science Department at the Pennsylvania State University. He also is on the Advisory Board of Indiana University’s Manufacturing Policy Initiative. Paul earned a B.A. in Foreign Service and International Politics from Penn State and an M.A. with honors in Security Studies from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service.

* Stephen Moore, Economist, Author, and Senior Fellow at the Heritage Foundation; Co-founder of Unleash Prosperity
Stephen Moore is an economist and author, serving as a Senior Visiting Fellow in Economics at The Heritage Foundation. Moore served as a senior economic advisor to President Trump’s 2016 campaign, drafting tax, budget, and energy policy plans. He is the co-founder of Unleash Prosperity, and a frequent lecturer to global audiences, as well as the author of six books, including “Trumponomics: Inside the America First Plan to Revive our Economy.” Moore previously served as Founder and President of the Club for Growth, an organization dedicated to helping elect free market candidates to Congress, and as the senior economics writer for The Wall Street Journal editorial page and member of the Wall Street Journal editorial board. He remains a regular contributor to the publication. In 2018, Worth Magazine named Stephen Moore one of the 75 Most Influential People in the World Dealing with Economics and Finance.

DEBATER BIOS – ARGUING NO

* Jennifer Hillman, Senior Fellow for Trade and International Political Economy at the Council on Foreign Relations
Jennifer Hillman is a senior fellow for trade and international political economy at the Council on Foreign Relations, specializing in U.S. trade policy, the law and politics of the World Trade Organization, and international organizations. Hillman is also a professor of practice at the Georgetown University Law Center, teaching courses in international business and international trade. She co-authored the leading casebook on trade, “International Trade Law, 3rd ed.,” and her writings have covered the trade war with China, WTO reforms, Brexit, climate change, and carbon taxes. In 2012, she completed her term as one of seven global members serving on the WTO’s Appellate Body. Prior to that, she served as a commissioner at the U.S. International Trade Commission, rendering decisions in more than six hundred investigations regarding injury to U.S. industries caused by imports that were dumped or subsidized, along with decisions in cases involving alleged patent or trademark infringement. Hillman also served as general counsel at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, where she was an ambassador and Chief Textiles Negotiator, and served as legislative director and counsel to Senator Terry Sanford of North Carolina. She serves on the board of visitors at the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University and has received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association of Women in International Trade.

* Rana Mitter, ST Lee Chair in US-Asia Relations at the Harvard Kennedy School
Rana Mitter is ST Lee Chair in US-Asia Relations at the Harvard Kennedy School and a political scientist who specializes in the history of the Republic of China. He is the author of several books, including “Forgotten Ally: China’s World War II,” which won the 2014 RUSI/Duke of Westminster’s Medal for Military Literature, and was named a Book of the Year in the Financial Times and The Economist. His latest book is “China’s Good War: How World War II is Shaping a New Nationalism.” His writing on contemporary China has appeared recently in Foreign Affairs, the Harvard Business Review, The Spectator, The Critic, and The Guardian. He has commented regularly on China in media and forums around the world, including at the World Economic Forum at Davos. His recent documentary on contemporary Chinese politics "Meanwhile in Beijing" is available on BBC Sounds. He is co-author, with Sophia Gaston, of the report “Conceptualizing a UK-China Engagement Strategy.” He won the 2020 Medlicott Medal for Service to History, awarded by the UK Historical Association. He previously taught at the University of Oxford and is a Fellow of the British Academy.

ABOUT OPEN TO DEBATE
Open to Debate addresses a fundamental problem in America: the extreme polarization of our nation and our politics. We are the nation's only nonpartisan, debate-driven media organization dedicated to bringing multiple viewpoints together for a constructive, balanced, respectful exchange of ideas. Open to Debate is a platform for intellectually curious and open-minded people to engage with others holding opposing views on complex issues. We know debate works to find common ground: On average, 32% of the Open to Debate audience changes their mind on contentious topics after hearing a debate. That’s the power of debate done right, and at scale, it can change the direction we’re headed in America. Open to Debate is broadcast as a weekly public radio program, carried on NPR stations including WNYC (#1 in the nation). Open to Debate is made available as a podcast, video series, and digital platform, and records episodes with live audiences nationwide. Visit opentodebate.org to become a member, access an archive of more than 220 debates, and attend live events.

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ABOUT THE COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS
The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) is an independent, nonpartisan membership organization, think tank, and publisher dedicated to being a resource for its members, government officials, business executives, journalists, educators and students, civic and religious leaders, and other interested citizens in order to help them better understand the world and the foreign policy choices facing the United States and other countries. CFR takes no institutional positions on policy issues and has no affiliation with the U.S. government. All views expressed in its publications and on its website are the sole responsibility of the author or authors.